Senator Rob Portman Makes Visit To AK Steel

United States Senator, Rob Portman made a visit to the AK Steel plant on Linden Avenue Monday afternoon.

Portman was presented with the American Iron and Steel Institute’s, Steel Champion Award for his work to help the Ohio Steel Industry and employees. Portman told about how his feelings after being presented with it.

"I really appreciate the award. I mean it’s–it’s my job so it’s what I ought to be doing which is to ensure that workers here at this plant and our other steel plants around Ohio have a fair shake." Explained Portman.

Portman said he is doing this through his Level Playing Field Act. Portman led the effort in tandem with Senator Sherrod Brown in the Senate and Congressman Pat Tiberi was the House Leader on the bill. The Level Playing Field Act is a bipartisan bill which gives U.S. companies new tools to fight against unfair trade practices. Portman said the future of the AK Steel plant is looking bright.

"It’s over 100 years owned by the same company. That unusual and they’ve had their ups and downs." Shared Portman, "A lot of the ups and downs have to do with the economy, we all understand that but when it has to do with illegally traded imports coming in–surging in–as they have been, that’s not fair."

Portman said that successful future will come from not only management and the union leadership but also through help from the Level Playing Field Act. This visit was all apart of Portman’s making a difference tour across the State of Ohio. He will visit nine counties and travel over thirteen hundred miles.